9 New Upgrades to Turn Your Jeep Into a Beast

Building a proper trail-crushing Jeep has become the new it-game amongst a wide array of custom shops around the country of late. The Japanese tuner scene — brought to mass fame by the Fast and the Furious franchise — has faded into the background, making way for a newfound obsession with building rough-and-tumble Jeeps that look better suited to an episode of The Walking Dead than they do to cruising urban streets. Once again, it's a love-it-or-hate-it trend, but if executed well, you're left with an awesome 4x4 that can conquer any trail or backwoods (or post-apocalyptic wasteland) you can throw at it. Of our selection of upgrades you'll note that some are designed for the current-production JK Wrangler, while others are meant to fit older TJ and YJ models.

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Rough Country 4-Inch Lift Kit for Wrangler TJ

When it comes to Jeep mods, a healthy lift and bigger wheels really are step one. Originally noted in our roundup of lift kits, Rough Country's huge range of lift kits covers everything from a modest 2.5-inch lift, up to 6 or more inches of clearance. This 4-inch lift kit for the 1997-2002 Jeep Wrangler TJ includes all the necessary odds and ends at a modest price, and will allow you to bump up to a 33-inch tire without clearance issues.

Bushwacker Fender Flares for Wrangler YJ

Even with the addition of a lift kit, a proper set of fender flares will come in handy to allow you to fit bigger tires. Bushwacker has a full range of flares available, but this flat-style flare is the best choice if you're having any concerns about clearance. They're also one of the few options out there that come with a limited lifetime warranty.

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Interco Super Swamper TSL/Bogger Tires

Super Swampers are some of the more aggressive mud tires you can buy that are still street legal, and if you're all about serious off-roading in mud, sand, and other loose surfaces, they're the perfect choice. That said, they wear down quickly, so we wouldn't suggest them if your off-road beast is also your daily driver. With these tires and the lift kit above, you'll be ready for anything.

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ZEON 10-S Recovery Winch with Spydura Synthetic Rope

Although we have known for a while that Warn also sells aftermarket lighting for off-road applications, the brand is still primarily known for their heavy-duty winches that have been used an innumerable number of times to pull trapped Jeeps and other 4x4s out of the muck. This winch doesn't come cheap, but it has a 10,000-pound line-pull rating that's bound to come in handy at one point or another.

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Go Rhino Jeep JK Front Bumper

A beefy front bumper does a great job of giving your Jeep a little extra attitude, but it's really way more function than it is form. It will give you an improved mounting point for a winch, add hook points so your buddies can tow you out of trouble, provide more space to install additional lighting, not to mention keep your pride and joy from being bumped and bruised by your fellow motorists.

David Ochoa

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Rugged Ridge XHD High-Mount Snorkel Kit for 3.6 and 3.8L JK Wrangler

You can give yourself all the height in the world, but the second you drop into a river, you need to be sure that your engine can draw air from above the water's surface — this is where a snorkel kit comes in. The installation of this Rugged Ridge kit is a bit involved, but it will ensure that during any river crossing, you'll be the one to get wet — not your engine internals.

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Anzo Rugged Vision Universal LED Off-Road Lights

Additional lighting while off-roading can really save the day. These 3-by-4-inch units run six high-intensity LEDs per housing, so if you have any intention on heading out overnight, or are even running the risk of losing daylight on a day trip, lighting like this really is a must.

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Rock Hard 4x4 Skid Plates for Wrangler JK

Your jeep can be an extra 6 inches tall, but that doesn't mean you're not at risk of gouging a hole in your oil pan or fuel tank if you approach a rocky section of trail from the wrong angle. These skid plates are some of the toughest in the business, and when it comes to stuff like this, you definitely don't want to cheap out.

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Go Rhino Universal-Fit SRM100 Roof Rack

Most off-road fanatics will agree that you can never have too much space to pack your gear, and a rough-and-tumble roof basket like this offering from Go Rhino is a great solution for Jeep and SUV enthusiasts looking to go deep into the backcountry. This rack is great for strapping down anything from spare fuel to camping gear when you're heading into uncharted territory.